08/27/2026
One of the most common questions on my last video was some version of, “Wait…why are you calling this painting when you’re not using paint?”
I paint with soft pastel, which is essentially pigment in stick form. There’s no brush, no water, and no waiting for anything to dry (mostly). I can pick up a color and put it directly onto the surface, which is one of the things I’ve always loved about it.
Pastel can absolutely be used for drawing, but the way I work with it is much closer to painting. I’m thinking about shapes, masses, values, edges and layers of color rather than outlining and filling things in. I’m filling a surface with pigment. The marks just happen to come straight from the pastel instead of from a brush.
And yes, I saw all of you asking about the paper! I use sanded papers, so the pastel has something to hold onto. There are many different brands and each has their own special quality. (Incidentally I have a free downloadable pastel paper guide on my site). The sanded texture grabs the pigment and lets me build up layer after layer without turning everything to a muddy mess.
It’s a wonderfully immediate, messy, tactile way to paint, and after all these years, I still love watching a handful of little sticks of pigment turn into a painting.
And if you found me through that last video, Hi! I’m glad you’re here. 🌻
xoxo,
B
